This week I read an article from Parker (2013) that discussed a project high school students did around the issue of immigration. These students were able to interview and learn many high-level thinking skills in the project they completed. I also read an article by Emert (2014) about using digital storytelling with refugee students.
Two many themes arose when I read and thought about these articles. I really struggled with how to connect the Parker article into my classroom. The main message I got while reading the article was the importance of relationships. These students had to work very hard to earn the trust of the people they were interviewing and keep an open and positive message around an issue that is polarizing for many people. I think this layer of relationship is an extra challenge to students and people alike. This project became more than just school work.
In the Emert (2014) article I was struck by this quote, "In essence, there are two narratives in a digital story-the overt narrative (the words in the story) and the covert narrative perceived by the viewer with the images" (p. 404). This quote was early on in the article and really did help me summarize my experience with digital storytelling. The quote helped me see the big picture and set a focus for my own classroom.
It took many days of thinking about the Parker (2014) article to really make it relatable. In second grade, my students are lucky to remember that the world is more than just them. This is a fun developmental milestone that many 8 year old hit while in 2nd grade. Realizing there is a world just beyond them is what makes 2nd grade so much fun, but also challenging. How do we build their relationships when they are learning to be kind and care for one another?
I think the next step in my classroom would be to build interview questions as a class. We have a poetry unit coming up and usually students do a poem about themselves. I would like students to learn more about their classmates. They can interview each other with the class generated questions and then develop an, "I am" poem about their partner. This creating of the questions I think would emulate the power and engagement discussed in the Parker (2014) article.
This is a template I am considering using in my classroom
Lastly, I have been thinking about digital storytelling all semester. We just presented our own videos in class. For me, this was an very private part of my life that I have struggled with. The support I received from my classmates meant a lot. I was able to really connect with my classmates in a different way. I want that for my students, but still and trying to figure out how. I have considered having students send in photos of themselves. They then could tell a story based on the photo. I worry that this photo might not connect to them as much as it connects to their families. I also have considered being better and taking photos throughout the year (I am awful at it). I could then create the memories for the students to write about. I would do this in order to support the families that might not have photos or for the students that struggle to remember the past.
Digital storytelling took a ton of work for myself. I think logistically it would involve a ton of planning, easy access to technology, and more than just one classroom teacher for support. I have not yet decided how to best support this in my classroom. I think for now I would like to work with one photo, and have students provide audio for that photo. I would do this in a more simple way this year by taking a photo of the student. That student then would have the poem that their partner wrote played while we saw the photo. I found a link about some potential recording apps here.
I love the audio piece of this. My students love hearing their voices and I would like to see more of their voices come into our classroom. At the end of the day, it is important to feel connected, challenged and heard. Students are important and so are the stories they carry with them. It is our job to make sure we help them share their stories.
This week I was able to read to different types of articles. One article was written by O'Byrne, Schenke, Willisi, and Hickey focused around using digital badges. Another article focused around how computer assessments are impacting ELL students.
O'Bryne et al. (2015) discusses the idea of using digital badges to symbolize technological accomplishments of students. Students can complete micro achievements in order to collectively complete macro achievements. Student then can use the achievements to showcase their skills and talents in the digital world. A lot of students have been able to use these badges to get college scholarships and show their skills in this every changing digital land.
Fenner (2015) focused around this issues with using computer-based testing specifically with ELL students. As many of the computer-based tests are still early on in practice they are showing a clear gap between students not receiving ELL services and those that are. These disadvantages are not allowing the true skills and talents of these students to be represented.
While reading these two different articles discuss different issues the root of the articles focus on ways to allow all students to succeed. I really liked the idea of digital badges. I think in the classroom this could look like a portfolio. I think with technology advancing it would be very cool to have students have e-portfolios. We know students succeed when given choice. If all students were able to pick the way to show they could master the standard then it could show the students actual skills not their ability to test online.
By allowing students to create portfolios, this also addresses the many accommodations suggested by Fenner (2015). Portfolios would allow students to work with less restrictive timing. This would also allow for the tasks to better meet the students needs and for directions to be clarified in ways that meet individuals needs.
I think that high stakes testing is here to stay. As a teacher I am always looking for ways to show my students they are more than just a test. I think using a portfolio, similar to badges could help my classroom do just that. Students need time, tasks that challenge them as an individual and accommodations in order to succeed. I found a website that discusses web tools to create student portfolios.
I think in addition to creating portfolios it is essential to provide students with ample practice time with computer-based assessments. In my classroom we know there are many students that need to improve their computer literacy. By providing tasks online and continuing to improve computer literacy I think we can take steps in the write direction to supporting students success instead of just testing it.
This week the elementary teachers had the opportunity to see how the other side lives....secondary education. We read an chapter of a book targeted at middle and high school students. As a teacher and a learner myself it is always fascinating to see how the other side lives. The skills students come in with is something that always impresses me.
I really connected with Hobbs (2011) discussing the ideas of romance, precision and generalization. I felt that this is connected to the learning cycle that we experience as a teacher. In order to have students connect emotionally to the content we must engage them. We must tell them why it is important. Once they are engaged we must make sure we give them accurate information that continues their quest for new knowledge. Lastly, we hope that students generalize their learning and move into using their knowledge and making it their own. As teachers we know how hard it can be to engage students with learning. We also know the struggle of getting students to connect learning and own it.
When reading Hicks (2013), I was left pondering the possibilities of video texts in a primary classroom. I often start teaching 2nd grade with students that cannot write a sentence. I think a goal in my writing classroom is to show students a framework about different types of writing. I feel most students need time to draft, edit, revise and publish. I am struggling with the idea that my students would potentially write only one or two things and then be expected to turn that into video text. A quote that really resonated with me in Hicks (2013) was , "As I've already stated, we, as writing teachers, need to focus on the writer, then the writing, and finally the technology." (p. 113). This quote allowed me to focus on the essential skills in my classroom. My students learn by doing, and if I only allow them a couple of attempts to try new skills in their writing they will never get to the generalization stage.
When I combined the ideas from Hobbs (2011) and Hicks (2013) I feel that I was able to find a more comfortable balance. I like the idea of using more audio recordings in the classroom. Unfortunately, our school has disabled the microphones on the computers. I will have to find a way around this. I think asking the students to record one piece a writing a unit would be a realistic possibly. I also think having them look for or create one piece of visual support to pair with the audio is realistic. I feel that this would engage students (romance), allow them multiple attempts to practice the skills of writing (precision) and create a final product that is unique to them and showcases their learned skills (generalization) in a primary way.
Taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118289927689792625/
I am currently on the hunt for a program that could nicely allow my students to do this. I found some ideas here, but hope to find a system that works for Chrome books and possibly iPads. This app also seemed like a possibility in the classroom.
I often times feel like it is important to go back to the roots of teaching. We need to engage children, educate them and hopefully when we do that they can take the learning into their own hands. Often it is easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of technology. When that happens I find it most helpful to reflect on my goals for my classroom, the materials I have available, the needs of my room and make a realistic plan that best aligns with all of these.
This week we learned a lot about the power of speech. We learned about audio recordings and how important being an effective communicator is in the classroom. Lastly, the final chapter discussed the social aspect to literacy.
As I continue to read the chapters, I have very mixed feelings. As many of you know I struggle with these activities in a 2nd grade classroom. One quote that really resonated with me was from Hobbs and Moore (2013), "The student controlled the learned process-in both generating questions and finding the answer. These kinds of media-rich activities spark intellectual curiosity." (p. 135). This quote brought attention to the lack of control I feel in my classroom. We have very scripted curriculum that we use along with pacing guides. I think often non-teachers think we have endless control to take on learning as inspired by children, the sad truth is we do not. After I read these chapters I am often left with the question of how. How can I do this in my classroom? I believe this is important and somehow it needs to happen.
I love the idea of finding an interest of my students and running with it for a week long project, similar to that situation discussed in Chapter 3 written by Hobbs and Moore (2013). I connected greatly with the idea that I want my students to be engaged with the world around them. I want them to care about not only themselves, but their families, their school and their community.
As stated by Hobbs and Moore (2014), "Teachers with firmly held beliefs about innocence of childhood may feel the urge to protect children from certain media depictions." (pg. 59). I often feel this way in my classroom given the rough backgrounds that my children face everyday. Should I really be talking about the homelessness in Longmont when I know that the student doesn't have a lot to eat at home? Should I make a point about how media targets certain genders and perpetuates stereotypes when this child just last night witnessed domestic abuse again and the cops came to their house? On the flip side of the argument I feel the need to break the cycle these students are in. I feel that if I can develop critical thinkers about the world around them, specifically the media they take in, maybe they can grow up become successful in spite of the obstacles they face.
I feel that one of the greatest things we can teach a child is to advocate for themselves. They need to be able to articulate their needs, ask for help and express their ideas. They need to be able to think critically and make informed decisions. I think one of the best ways to do this is through the media they get on a daily basis. As stated by Hicks (2013) "Inviting students to record and then listen to their own voice can also open up conversations about dialect, multilingualism, and the denotation and connotations of particular words and phrases." (p. 103). Maybe having students response orally and in a recorded form can be a solution to my need to create advocates. By recording children, we can work on how good audio is organized and how they can become articulate advocates for their own needs.
At the end of the day I am always looking for classroom connections. I would like my students to really start thinking about what makes a good speaker. As a podcast listener myself I often gain a lot of information from them and enjoy the time I spend listening to them. This could be something I easily add to my morning meeting routine. I think by starting small and focusing on one podcast we can critically analysis the good and bad. We then can take this review and slowly lead into crafting our own audio script with the possibility to recording when finished. I found a helpful list of podcasts for children here.
Taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/301459768780256876/ Visit this Pinterest Board from great Teacher Quotes!
Children are exposed to media everyday. It is our job as educators to create articulate, critical thinkers. The best way to do this might just be to show children how powerful their voice can be.
Teacher Point of View: This website allows students to create their own books using other people's artwork. You can create picture books, poetry or chapter books (Longform). These books can then be printed after paying a fee. This site allows teachers to create private accounts for their students. Teachers can also create assignments to help guide students into complete a specific type of project or to create literature using a specific artist's artwork.
Price/Availability:
Storybird is free to sign up. You can sign up for a teacher account and allow your students access to all of the artwork and templates for book creation. You can order published work. To see the price visit the website or see the table below.
Storybird Creation
Cost
Sign up
Free
Hardcover Picture Book
Starting at $29.99
Softcover Picture Book
Starting at $12.59
Digital Download Bundle
Picture Book
$3.99
eBook Longform
$2.99
Printable PDF Longform
$2.99
Art Print Poetry
$24.99
Folded Card Poetry (set of
10)
$18.99
Flat Notecards Envelopes (set
of 10)
$16.99
Greeting Card (digital
download)
$1.99
Art Print
$24.99
Writing Journal
$24.99
Folded Cards (set of 10)
$18.99
iPhone 5 case
$34.99
Images:
When you complete your work you have the option to make it public.
There is a glitch in the bottom left corner. It said I needed a title, but didn't give me the option. I had to try several times before this went away.
This is another glitch. For a long time it showed me a blank page where I could not type or add a picture.
Here is the final page where you can choose to have your book printed.
You can either buy the book yourself or ask for a donation.
Rationale for Tool Selection:
I selected this tool because I was hoping to have a better way for my students to connect to their writing. I think often primary writing is only read by their classroom teacher and/or parent. I liked the idea that my students would see their work come to life in a published book.
In addition, I have a lot of reluctant writers. I was hoping the artwork would inspire them to create great stories. Often generating ideas is a struggle for my classroom and their allowed for some visual support for students.
Lastly, I liked the idea that families could view their student's writing on the computer as compared to it coming home graded. I think this digital way of viewing things would connect with a lot of my families that have cell phones. The best way to view the books is on the computer though, in my opinion.
Assessment Rubric/Review:
This assessment rubric was challenging to create. The first feature that was important to me was cost. I come from a school with over 50% free and reduced lunch. I didn't want to endorse a product if I felt like I could not provide families a reasonable price to but student work. The cost of the website itself was free but I feel the books are a little pricey. I think the writing that would need to be generated in order to make having a book printed might be a little out of the scope of a 2nd grade classroom.
Secondly, ease of use was my most important feature as a teacher. My students do not have a lot of computer skills and this program needed to be easy to use. The point of the program is to create writing and I did not want my students spending their whole time trying to log on. I also wanted this to be an exciting website for my students to use and appeal to my student that struggles to write a sentence all the way to my students that write paragraphs during one writing session.
This website has a login for each student. This is nice because it adds privacy, but frustrating because you have to create a login for each student and this is another thing they need to remember. You can print cards to help with this. Also students get to pick their own passwords, this is not primary friendly.
I hoped this website would appeal to students and families. I liked the idea of how this website connected school and home through writing. The website has a link that you can send to families so they can view their student's writing.
It was also important as a teacher to be able to easily see what the student is working on an give feedback. Creating assignments was very simple. One issue that concerned me was not being able to see my student's work until they decided to share it with me. As a 2nd grade teacher I feel like it is important to see the whole process. In addition, the program does not help promote the writing process. Students need to see the artwork, organize it into a story and then write. As a teacher that would mean creating a picture book, going back to plan it out and then writing it as a final book. It felt like students would be writing to fit the pictures instead of creating their original work.
The last feature that I thought was cool, but unrelated to my classroom was the artwork. I think this is a great place to post artwork and get money for it. Talented student artists might considering submitting work on this website. Pro vs. Con:
Pros
Feature
Cons
Free to sign up
Free to create books
Cost
Variety of pricing from $1.99 –
over $29.99
Creating Assignments
Tutorials for students
Link to share with parents
Lark (Poetry Version) works with iOS devices (iPhone only)
Ease to Use
Requires a lot of computer
literacy and ability to find, organize and create text with given artwork.
Create cover last
Has glitches
Personal log in for students
Only available through computers
Getting to see student work in a digital and printed format
Engagement/Motivation
If books are not purchased then
they remain available to only a small group of people
Pictures can help reluctant writers generate ideas
Differentiation Learning
Picture limit writers who have
clear ideas
Seeing student work in a more public way
Appeal
Having to pay money in order to
get access to the work
Student accounts are free
Can see student work privately.
Teacher Version
Creating student account takes
awhile.
Need to do fundraising to get
books purchased
A large variety of art to choose from
Artwork
Can only use one artists work per
book
Art doesn’t always connect to
student writing
Help reluctant writers gather ideas
Educational Benefit
Doesn’t promote the writing
process
Comparable Resources:
Here is a website that I used to compare Storybird with other websites focusing on reluctant writers. When looking at the other websites it became clear that many of the websites had a combination of creating your artwork and writing. I think this is one of the biggest things missing with Storybird, you are bound to the art. In order to best engage students I would like to use a website that allows them to pick a predesigned background but then add different images to create the scene that matches their writing.
While investigating websites I also found sites that encourage comic book writing. These short ideas to explain a scene could really help engaged my students. I would like to investigate BitStrips for schools. These are very popular and could really have the funny piece that relates to a lot of my writers.
By far, Storybird has the best artwork. If this is what interests the user then I would recommend it. If teachers are looking to help develop students creativity through art and writing I think ZooBurst, myStoryMaker, StoryStarters, and StoryJumper are more user friendly and student focused as well as promoting writing.
Ideas for Literacy Instruction:
Storybird has a lot of options for classroom production. I would see potentially using this website for fiction stories. Unfortunately, this is not a large focus in 2nd grade. This might be a good option for schools that have mentorship, similar to book buddies. If my students had an older student to help navigate the computer they could both create a book together.
Another area that I might try this with is poetry. This has not been a focus of my review, but I would be interested since their poetry section comes in an iPad app, Lark. This lets you pick a picture and gives you a set of words, think Magnetic Poetry but in the 21st century. This might help my reluctant writers when we get to our Poetry unit.
English Language Art Standards:
Some standards this might support in 2nd grade are... Uses the writing process to plan and draft literary genres
3.1.d - Write simple, descriptive poems
3.1.f - Use a knowledge of structure and crafts of various forms of writing gained through reading and listening to mentor texts
Uses proper conventions and grammar when writing
3.3.a - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking
3.3.a.ii - Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish)
3.3.a.iii - Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves)
3.3.a.v - Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified
3.3.a.vii - Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy)
3.3.a.ix - Spell high-frequency words correctly.
3.3.b – Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing
3.3.b.iv - Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage – badge; boy – boil)
3.3.d - With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers
Getting Started:
In order to get started go to the Storybird website. You will then be directed to create an account. At this time you can choose an teacher account. You will then need to import a class list and print login cards for the student. If you have questions visit their FAQ website.
